I looked for almost 2 years. Out of 100 boats, I would say 90 were 1984 and earlier. there were maybe 5 in the late 80s, and the rest were 90s and 00s. The search was concentrated in the south, however, at one time I looked at ads nationally. I rejected all of the older boats for some structural issue beyond my threshold of rework pain. I think in 84, Hobie/Coleman started to offer boats competing with the 16. I think maybe video games and alternatives also cut into sailing's allure during the 80s. It is sad. I also looked at other catamarans, but if you search for them on Craigslist, they are almost non-existent, which scared me off from a parts perspective. Also, I grew up on H16 (in the 70s and 80s).

I finally found one from a guy in NC. He had purchased from a GA dealer that runs a rental business. Those boats really get beat up, but the one I got seems to be sound.

I also touched base with Hobie fleets on the eastern seaboard. they directed me to Craigslist, Hobie's forum, and Beachcats. The dealer in SC did not have much to offer.

Hi guys! Sorry if this is the wrong thread to post this in, but was wondering if I could run a scenario past you.

First of all, background story--I've wanted to sail for the past two decades, but never had the money/connections. This past summer, I got to go out on a Hobie Wave on the Chesapeake Bay for the first time and loved the heck out of it. I'm completely hooked and have been reading the Hobie forums obsessively. My dream craft at the moment is a Getaway (I have a lot of friends, plan to have kids, etc). However, they ain't cheap and it could be a while before I have the 4-6k saved up for a used bargain.

THE GOOD:- $$. The seller is willing to go under 1k. - Includes boat, trailer, and sails.- The seller spent a lot of time fixing up the hulls. Epoxy injection into the hulls to fix soft spots (I pushed hard against both hulls and the thing seems super solid), new paint job, etc. - Tramp and rigging are in decent shape.

THE QUESTIONABLE:- Seller has absolutely no idea how old the boat is. He bought it off a college kid two years ago, who used to race it. There's no ID #, no title, etc. I don't have ambitious racing plans yet, and here in MD, you don't need a title to sail, but the lack of knowledge does concern me. There is a comp-tip, but I couldn't tell if it was retrofitted or not.- Are all trailer wheels this small? How does that fare on a highway? - My biggest concern: the sails are definitely getting old. There are a few pinpick holes I spotted, tape covers several of the batten sleeves, decals are peeling off, tails are frayed, etc.

So, what do you think? Is this a good ticket for me to get out on the water as soon as possible, or should I hold out for a better deal/dream boat?

BTW, the seller seems like a good fellow who needs the money. If someone else thinks this is exactly the kind of thing they've been looking for, please go for it!

The boat you found looks nice. It looks like a late 70’s or early 80’s boat based on the silver/clear anodized mast/frame/boom. The comptip was introduced in 1986. I don’t think that the comptip was ever installed new on a silver/clear anodized mast. Also check out the boat posted below in the forum. It is also in Maryland. It is a similar boat without the restore. The 6:1 blocks are newer/better than 5:1 seaway blocks on the Baltimore boat. It has new stays ($150) which is nice on a 30 year old boat.

The Baltimore boat has a lot of work put into it. “How far the soft spots got and how bad” is the unknown question. Is this the first boat you have seen? If so, check out a couple more.Sails with pinholes can be OK for a while….Do you have $300-$800 for “new-used” sails in 2-5 years?

Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2011 11:07 pmPosts: 143Location: Annapolis, MD I have a really great boat that I have used a lot in the last two years, but I'm getting ready to go back to grad school and my time will be limited to use it.

There is some flex on the sides of the hulls but the tops of the hulls fore and aft of the tramp are solid. All the gear is used obviously but in good working condition.

6:1 mainsheetJib and Main in great conditionIncludes all sheets in great conditionTrailer includedDouble trapezeBasically new side staysSolid white tramp

If I parted out the boat I could easily sell everything for close to $1000, but I would like to sell all together. Looking to get $750 for the package. The boat is totally sailable or your could just use it for all the parts.